Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh Awarded the Grand Prix du Mmorial dAjaccio

Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh has been awarded the Grand Prix du Mmorial d`Ajaccio in 2006 for his book La Lgende de Napolon, published by the Editions Tallandier in Paris earlier this year. The book uses French archival sources to explain how and why Napoleon Bonaparte became a legendary figure in France`s collective memory, inspiring a political cult which celebrated him not only as a great warrior but also as one of the symbols of modern French democracy.

The Grand Prix du Mmorial d`Ajaccio is given each year to an innovative work in the field of modern French history and is the principal literary award of Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon. The 18-member panel, based in Paris under the chairmanship of Jean-Claude Casanova, awarded the accolade unanimously. The Prize includes a monetary gift and an honorary Medal of the city of Ajaccio. The medal was presented in August 2006 at a ceremony in the Muse Fesch, under the presidency of Simon Renucci, the Socialist Mayor of Ajaccio. In his speech, Mr Renucci paid tribute to Sudhir`s writings on Napoleonic history, which demonstrated the creativity of French political culture and the everlasting appeal of Bonapartist popular mythology in France`s collective imagination.

Dr Sudhir Hazareesingh is a Fellow of the British Academy and CUF Lecturer in Politics and Tutorial Fellow in Politics, Balliol College.